The application of interior trim around the interior of wall openings, such as those provided for the installation of windows and doors, is well-known in the art. To explain the environment in which the trim is utilized, it is common to place a prefabricated window frame assembly in the opening. However, one significant and recurring problem is that the jamb provided on a standard window frame assembly is not as deep as the framed wall is thick. This, of course leaves an unsightly gap between the frame assembly and the interior wall. To cover this gap and provide an aesthetically pleasing appearance, pieces of interior trim formed of strips of high quality wood or drywall are applied along the interior of the opening and the surrounding wall. In addition to window openings, matching trim is also placed in and around any walk-through door openings in the same room.
It should be appreciated that to provide an attractive and securely fastened trim, several independent steps are required. Typically, completion of the trim is done at the job site, beginning with measuring the window openings. The wood members forming the trim must be cut to provide a custom fit. Such cutting processes involve setting up work tables and the appropriate saws, and further include the use of a miter box to cut the oblique edges that typically form the joints between the trim members. Of course, all measuring and cutting must be completed in a precise manner to ensure an exact fit that provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance. Thus, by necessity, the measuring and cutting operations are time consuming, unforgiving and painstaking processes.
Moreover, after measuring and cutting are complete, the trim pieces must then be fastened around the wall opening. For a rectangular window opening, four jamb return members are first inserted and secured along to the side walls of the window opening. Four casing members are then nailed to the exterior wall surfaces surrounding the opening to cover the gap between the jamb return members and the drywall or other interior wall material. Special care and effort is required when securing these members to ensure the structural integrity of the formed joints and to avoid future cracking and splitting that often results from fluctuations in temperature and humidity, as well as the typical shifting and settling of the structure over time.
After installation is complete, the additional step of providing the trim members with a pleasant outward appearance is required. This generally involves using a wood filler compound to overspread and fill any cracks in the miter joints of both the jamb return members and the casing members. The attached trim members must then be painted or stained to cover the filler material and trim so as to provide the desired "cased" look.
As should be appreciated, the same process is generally used to trim interior walk-through door openings. However, such door openings require the installation of casing on both sides of the opening. This of course significantly increases the amount of work required.
In addition to the standard rectangular openings, it is common for windows and some specialty doors with decorative transoms to have arcuate upper portions that significantly increase the expense of the trimming process. Specialty cut wood members are required to provide the arcuate portion of the trim. Such members are formed using special processing techniques which makes them particularly expensive to manufacture. Also, such curved members must be carefully installed in order to provide the desired, high-quality fit and finish.
Thus, in view of the foregoing, it can be readily appreciated that the process of installing trim on window or door openings requires a significant amount of time, effort and expense to complete. It may take up to three hours for an experienced and skilled craftsman to complete the trimming operation for a single rectangular wall opening. Thus, in a structure with several openings, the entire trimming process could take days to complete. This time and expensive is greatly increased when the openings include arcuate portions. Trimming window and door openings is a labor intensive and expensive undertaking thus, significant overall expense is added to the housing cost.
Previously, others have proposed simplifying the trimming process through the use of preformed trim assemblies for insertion into window/door openings using additional clips or other connecting structure. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,640 to DiFazio discloses a preassembled window trim unit made of wood or plastic for installation into the interior of a window opening. As should be appreciated, the special mounting clips required for attachment to the window frame limit utilization of this trim to a special, cooperating window frame capable of accepting a series of panels carried by these clips. Furthermore, since all prefabricated window assembly manufacturers do not provide an appropriate structure for mating with such a clip, this does not provide a universal solution (that is, a trim assembly appropriate for use with the prefabricated window assemblies of a number of different manufacturers).
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an improved one-piece trim assembly for placement along the interior of a window or door opening. The assembly would have a simple, yet strong, construction that is easy to secure in a wall opening independent of any additional, specialized modification to the existing prefabricated window or door structure. Additionally, the assembly would be easily formed into different shapes, including shapes having arcuate sides, for use with a wide variety of window/door openings. An improved method for manufacturing the trim assemblies would also be provided, including a method of forming arcuate sections.